Mail-transferring apparatus.



R. H. PAGE. MAIL TBANSFERRING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1908.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

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R. H. PAGE. MAIL TRANSPERRING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 211.29, 1908. I

Patented Nov. 17,1908.

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1 :no Rls PET is Witnesses REED H. PAGE, OF SLATER, MISSOURI.

MAIL-TRANSFERRING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 29, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nov'. 17, 1908.

Serial No. 429,958.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REED H. PAGE, citizen of the United States, residing at Slater, in the county of Saline and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Transferring Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object, a simple, durable and efficient construction of apparatus for depositing mail in rapidly moving.

trains, and the invention consists essentially of a mail bag throwing apparatus in the nature of a spring gun adapted to be moved up along side of the track so as to discharge its contents into the mail car as the train sweeps past, the apparatus being automatically actuated by a mechanism carried by the car.

The invention also consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combination of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved mail transferring device with parts in section; Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the parts in different positions; Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of a portion of the cocking mechanism; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view thereof; Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the front end of the barrel; Fig. 6 is a detail top plan view of the trip arm; Fig. 7 is a detail view of a device carried by the car.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference numerals.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a frame of a gun carriage, which frame may be of any desired construction and design and which is mounted upon wheels 2 so that the device may be moved along the track 3, built for it and extending at right angles to the main railway tracks.

4 designates the barrel of the gun and 5 the cylinder which is mounted in the carriage in alinement with the rear end of the barrel. A plunger rod 6 is mounted for longitudinal movement in the bore of the cylinder 5, and a disk-like head or piston 7 is secured to one end of the plungerrod 6 by nuts 8 or the like. The piston 7 works within the barrel 4 as the plunger rod 6 is moved forcibly forward by means of an ex pansion spring 9 which is coiled around the plunger rod 6 in the rear of the piston 7 as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

In order to retract the plunger rod 6 and to compress the spring 9, the rear portion of the plunger rod 6 is formed with teeth 10 which project upwardly through a slot 11 extending longitudinally of the cylinder 5. A spur pinion 12 is journaled between and in bearing plates 13 projecting upwardly from the barrel 5 near the rear end thereof, the teeth of the pinion 12 meshing with the teeth 10 of the plunger rod, so that as the pinion is turned by means of its crank handle 14 the plunger may be retracted and held at the rear limit of its movement with the spring 9 tightly-compressed. The parts may be locked in position if desired by means of a spring pressed pin 15, and a pawl 16 meshes with the ratchet 17 formed on one end of the pinion 12.

The plunger rod 6 is formed with a notch or recess 18 and a detent 19 projects upwardly through a slot 20 formed in the cyl inder 5 and is provided with a nib 21 adapt ed to enter the notch 18 so as to hold the gun cocked. The detent 19 is fulcrumed at J and is provided with a forwardly projecting arm 23 secured by means of a contractile spring 24 to a lug 25 projecting forwardly from the front edge of the detent of the cylinder in which these parts just named are mounted. The detent 19 is also formed with a notch 27 designed to be engaged by the locking arm 28 of a trigger 29 said trigger being fulcrumed intermediate of its ends within the depending portion 20 of the cylinder as indicated at 30. It will thus be understood that when the plunger rod is retracted the nib 21 of the detent 19 will enter the notch or recess 18 in the plunger rod and be held therein by means of the trigger 29, and it is thus seen that as the trigger 29 is moved out of engagement with the detent 19, the detent 19 will be permitted to rock out of engagement with the notch 18 so as to permit the spring 9 to act and forcibly drive the plunger rod forwardly to discharge the mail from the outer end of the barrel 4. Preferably the rear end of the plunger rod 6 is formed with a buffer 32 so as to absorb the shock of the moving plunger at the forward limit of its movement.

In order to discharge the gun I have provided a trip arm 33 which is fulcrumed intermediate of its ends between plates 34: secured to the carriage 1. The trip arm 33 is provided at its rear end with a cam block 35 designed to enter a slot 36 formed in the lower end of the trigger 29 and the forward end of the trip arm is held for lateral movement in a triangular guide 37 secured to the front end of the barrel 4. It is intended that some device carried by the mail car shall rock the arm 33 so as to trip the trigger 29 and discharge the gun. In the present instance, I have shown for this purpose a case 38 secured to the door frame of the mail car and an adjustable bar 39 having a slot and pin -connection 40 with the case so that the barmay be projected when it is clesired to use the same and in such position, as to come in contact with the forwardly projecting end of the trip arm 33 so as to rock the same and actuate the trigger 29. Preferably the trigger 29 is secured to a contractile spring 29 exerting a tension thereon to hold it in operative position with the detent 19.

It is to be understood that the crank arm or handle 14 is detachably connected to the shaft of the pinion 12, so that the crank handle may be removed after the gun has been cocked. It is also to be understood that the invention is not limited to the track 3, as the gun may be rolled along a station or other platform and the wheels dropped into recesses or sockets in the platform to hold the gun stationary while it is being operated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a spring un adapted to discharge mail, a trigger ac apted to hold said gun.

cocked, a laterally swinging trip arm fulcrumed intermediate of its ends and supported with and by the gun, said trip arm being arranged at one end to engage the trigger, and a guide supported by the gun to engage the opposite end of trip arm, and in which the same is mounted for movement and means for automatically tripping said arm.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a spring gun comprising a barrel, a plunger and piston mounted in said barrel, a cylinder in alinement with the barrel and in which the rear end of the plunger is adapted to extend, the plunger being provided in its rear end with teeth, a pinion mounted in the cylinder and provided with teeth meshing with the teeth of the plunger, means for turning the pin ion, a spring encircling the plunger and adapted to force the same forwardly, said plunger being provided with a recess, a

' spring pressed detent adapted to engage said recess, a trigger engaged to hold said detent against movement and means for automatic ally actuating said trigger by and upon the passage of a car past the gun.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REED H. PAGE. [Ls] lVitnesses F. T. NORRIS, GEO. H. AUTT. 

